Geographic information systems (GIS) permit for the archiving, retrieving, and manipulation of data that has been stored and indexed according to the geographic coordinates of its elements.
GIS systems can provide very helpful information to users, such as by presenting information graphically—see Google Maps and Google Earth as two prime examples of such helpful systems. GIS systems often are navigated by entering particular longitude/latitude coordinates, or by entering addresses, such as street addresses, which may be resolved to a particular coordinate before querying a database for geo-specific information such as maps or satellite images. The information returned may be information that is provided by “official” sources, such as government or industry imagery or demographic data, or information such as the locations of businesses and residences.